What is a pulled muscle?
A pulled muscle or muscle strain occurs when a muscle is stretched too far causing small tears within the muscle, leading to inflammation and pain.
What causes a pulled muscle?
A pulled muscle is caused by a sudden, uncoordinated movement during sporting activities such as sprinting, jumping or kicking. During these activities the muscle is forcibly stretched beyond its limits and the muscle tissue tears.
What are the symptoms of a pulled muscle?
A pulled muscle will initially cause pain which will affect physical functions such as standing, walking and climbing stairs. People may also experience swelling, redness and bruising depending on the extent of the injury.
How will physical therapy help a pulled muscle?
A person with a pulled muscle will benefit from physical therapy treatment. At Leader Therapy, your physical therapist will conduct a thorough physical examination to assess your current functional ability and develop a treatment program which will be centered on:
- Reducing pain
- Reducing swelling
- Improving range of movement
- Increasing muscle strength
- Improving balance
- Facilitating recovery
A personalized treatment program will be developed which may include:
- Pain management including anti-inflammatories and ice
- Ultrasound to accelerate healing
- Gradual muscle stretching to regain pain free range of movement as soon as possible
- Soft tissue massage to relieve pain and stiffness
- Muscle strengthening exercises
- Aerobic exercises
- Functional retraining tailored to everyday activities and sport
- Advice on a gradual return to normal activities
- Preventing re-injury
Your physical therapist will also provide support and advice on how to return to normal physical activity as soon as possible and reduce the likelihood of any re-injury. You will also be given short and long term goals to ensure that you get the most out of your treatment and continue to make long term improvements.